Ted Cruz are in a virtual dead heat in Iowa.
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Texas US Senator Ted Cruz has solidified his lead among Republican presidential contenders in the politically crucial state of Iowa, a new poll showed.
A new Quinnipiac University presidential poll released Monday afternoon shows Donald Trump and Sen. “I was for bombing (the Islamic State’s) oil long before anyone else was talking about it. That’s good judgement”.
“You can’t walk into the Senate and scream and call people liars and not be able to cajole and get along with people”, Trump said, referring to Cruz’s accusation that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had not been truthful in negotiations. Not if Cruz has his way.
Asked why, Trump said, “Because I don’t think he has the right temperament”. In an interview with EWTN News last week, Cruz said he is convinced that 2016 is going to be a religious liberty election, and that he will push for legislation to protect people’s rights against any possible discrimination or persecution from the federal government.
Cruz responded to this jab within hours.
The exchange caps a tense weekend between the two Republican Oval Office hopefuls.
While early in the week Cruz outwardly expressed a desire to continue playing nice with Trump, behind closed doors at a New York City fundraiser he questioned the New York real estate mogul’s “judgment” and “strength”.
The front-runner, whose comments on Muslims drew widespread criticism but may not dent his lead in several national public opinion polls, made a sarcastic reference to Cruz’s respectful treatment of him. She jumped up six points in the Register’s first poll since Biden made his decision.
Ben Carson has dropped into third with just 13%, while Marco Rubio sits in fourth with 10%, the same spot the Florida senator held during October.
The results have reinforced predictions the vote in Iowa will be a race between Mr Trump and Mr Cruz, who has a secure base in the state among Evangelical pastors and congregations.
The poll, from the Des Moines Register, is viewed as the gold standard of pre-caucus surveys and is sure to give Trump heartburn. When first and second choices are combined, he has the support of 51 percent of likely caucus-goers. While Cruz stopped short of slamming Trump, he did say he “disagrees” with the plan.
“One of the reasons I’m sitting here, and one of the reasons I’m so high in the polls, is because it all started with the borders”, Mr Trump told CNN.
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If this prediction is on point, it’s likely to be reflected in the rhetoric of both Cruz’s Republican cohort and his Democrat opponents in the next round of presidential debates for both parties this week.
